


The Treehouse (ON HIATUS)

by LokiLiesmith



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Angst, Art, Author is not a native speaker, F/M, Fluff, Ghiralink - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Illustrated, Implied Yuri, M/M, Post-Canon, Slash, This goes both ways, Wounds, Yaoi, ZeLink one-sided, custom-made art within each chapter, gratitude sex, injuries, they really need each other but don't realize it, until they do
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 13:24:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11647461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LokiLiesmith/pseuds/LokiLiesmith
Summary: After defeating Demise, Link is looking forward to a peaceful life on the surface, with everyone from Skyloft, but first and foremost, with the girl he saved. Zelda has different plans tough, and Link finds himself truly alone. Until a not as dead as thought enemy shows up on his doorstep, demanding his help (begging for his help actually - not that Ghirahim would ever admit it).





	The Treehouse (ON HIATUS)

_**LINK** _

_45 days after the end battle_  
  
It was pelting with rain. Fat drops splashed and exploded against the enormous green leaves serving as protection screens, the sound melting into constant swooshing in the distance.

Link found the concept of water falling from above still intriguing; it did not even exist in his people's vocabulary, Impa had taught him the word in Old Hylian. He curled up in his makeshift bed, more of a natural niche within dark wood, filled with fragrant, dried grass. Another bolt of lightning plunged his humble home into surreal white, closely followed by a crack of thunder. Link's (unfortunately) quite sensitive ears twitched from the loud noise. It was unpleasantly cold on top of that. He shivered, glad he had brought his old academy blanket; the once mild, early autumn temperature had dropped dramatically in only a few hours.

All in one, the weather was so awful (and outright dangerous) no one would ever think of venturing outside.

No one, except the probably not very sane person insistently knocking on his door at this very moment.

Link blinked slowly. Then a big smile nearly split his face in two:  _It's_ her _! She came to apologize! Then we're going to make up and get mar-_ His bout of optimism came to a screeching halt, as he realized that no one beside himself knew the location of his little sanctuary. He had made sure of that.

 _Then who in the world…?_  
  
Link grabbed his simple sword. It was a reminder of equally simple, happy days, when getting rid of some Keese, while traversing Waterfall Cave to free his Loftwing, still appeared like a big adventure to him. He slid the door, actually a large slice of a tree trunk, swiftly to the side.

 _It's_ him _._  
  
_My long-dead enemy. But of fucking course. Story of my life. Why did I expect differently?_  
  
They were merely staring at each other for a few seconds that trickled by, as viscously slow as eternity. Despite standing perfectly still and holding the other at sword's point, Link's thoughts were racing. Another flash of lightning; Link took in dark eyes, widened in fear, the hand covered by a dirty glove, raised to knock once more, the unusually disheveled hair…

"My apologies for the unannounced disturbance."

… the blood.

It was pitch black, and it was  _everywhere_ , dripping down from under the torn cloak, down long legs, and on Link's threshold, only to be washed away by the intense rain.

"But due to my current situation, I would be most obliged if you would lend me a hand."

Link stared some more. The sophisticated manner of speech was exactly as he remembered it - the usually smooth voice, however, was low and hoarse. Whether from long-time disuse or from long-time screaming, Link had no clue.

He had also no clue on which of the impulses fighting within his otherwise short-circuited brain he should act. The one asking him to open his door and his heart to whoever was in such dire need of aid, since he was supposed to be the hero, selfless, brave and such things? After all, that's what a hero does, without minding too much that the poor helpless person would gladly kill him in his sleep?

"Preferably before I lose all of my dignity? Along with all of my blood?"

… Or the one impulse commanding to do the only sensible thing:

Link made to slam the door back in place.

It was heavy, though, and he had only one hand free. His late night visitor immediately tried to use this to his advantage, wedging a foot in - before yelping and retracting it quickly.

Link gasped; he had not intended to squish someone's toes anytime soon tonight. As he hesitantly rolled back the bulky wood, it was to a view that made him gape, left speechless (more so than usual, that was).

"I… I need… help me… please…"

Link gulped; so now all pretenses were gone. He was sure the man now kneeling on his doorstep, hands outstretched imploringly towards him, had never used this small, insignificant word before,  _ever_.

"P-please… L… Link…"

Just as his actual name, instead of the stupid, patronizing nickname he had regularly called him by. The man's silver (and very long) tongue seemed to have fastened itself with knots over it, judging by his stuttering.

Link winced at the shame washing over him; he had used to feel bad just from seeing Fi bow down before him. Thus, having someone beg him  _on their knees_  for his unwilling help had certainly not been on his to-do-list for tonight, either. Even less this intimidating… no, this fearsome,  _terrible_  man. Link lowered his sword, and took a step to the side, wordlessly inviting the other into his hideaway, the (so far) trouble-free one he had so enjoyed having only to himself.

"Oh… you allow me to…?"

But it seemed trouble always managed to find him, no matter how he tried to hide from it. Said trouble (personified) could not even be bothered to stand again, but simply crawled inside, trembling with exhaustion, and presumably pain. Link fought stubbornly against the wave of pity clenching his heart, but he sank to one knee all the same, reaching out to offer his assistance. Despite how it included touching the other… which Link thought was the bravest thing he had ever done.

"… too kind… thank you."

And with that, Ghirahim proceeded to promptly faint in Link's arms.

* * *

_43 days after the end battle_

The numerous population of the sky, previously scattered all above the clouds on hundreds of tiny floating islands, had started migrating to Groosel- to the Surface -  _no_ , to  _Grooseland_. Link persistently kept using this designation. If only for the thievish delight of the perfectly synced, collective eye roll he'd receive, or for making Groose smile. The boy looked so sad all the time. As for Link… he was simply feeling numb, and tired.

The uneventful days after his dangerous quest had been a nice and quiet relief, but since an entire while, they went on like this:

"Link, have you overslept yet again?!"

"My father is still needing your help with moving his library."

"When was the last time you combed that mop you call hair?"

"I can't believe you; lazing about all day!"

"You still have not got started on the windows of your house! It won't be summer forever, you know?!"

"Whatever, be that way, I have work to do, not everyone gets hero bonuses."

If someone would have asked Link to describe Zelda in one single word, it would have been: "overbearing".

"Zelda, wait, I wanted to ask you-"

On the other side, "elusive" suited her as well. Sighing, Link stared after the blond hair flowing down a slim back.  _Next time, then_. He pocketed the simple gold band, encrusted with a small sapphire. Merchant Rupin had demanded soul and firstborn for it. Alternatively, all of Link's savings he had gladly given him. Now, he was the broke, albeit proud owner of an engagement ring he didn't seem to be getting rid of soon.

Zelda never had the patience to listen to what he had to say. He usually had not much to say. Furthermore, he disturbed Zelda only when it was important. She was currently drowning in mayor duties since taking over leadership from Gaepora, who had retired, only remaining headmaster of the Knight Academy. The two of them had probably different opinions on what was important. Maybe it would be different after everyone had settled down. Maybe she would magically change back into the sweet girl he used to know, the one who always used to make time for him.

Alright, Zelda had been nagging him full force in the past, too (which was a good thing, he'd have slept through all of his classes otherwise). Now, her few flaws had increased tenfold, and in addition to it, there were certain new… traits implemented into her personality. Traits he was not particularly fond of. And there he had thought Hylia had been a warm-hearted goddess. Not this cold, precise, logical, detached being. Link had still hope, though; Zelda was not always like this, he was sometimes still able to see glimpses of  _his_  Zelda in her. He would take her being a bit irritating over her sometimes distant or calculating gaze anytime.

He indeed didn't like it one bit when Hylia stared into his very soul through Zelda's blue eyes.

With another sigh, Link left the building site that would soon develop into a bustling town (assuming that Link was indeed the laziest of Skyloft). He walked by his half-finished house, tucked under a small hill, as it was customary for Skyloft's architecture to blend into its surroundings. The house was located just to the side of the Sealed - no, that was wrong, it was called Hylia's Temple again. Link threw the mere dark holes, serving as windows for now, a guilty glance. They were missing both frames and colorful glass, and it had been weeks…

Maybe this house would start feeling like home once he fixed them? He doubted it, and the thought of living out his days in it filled him with irrational and strangely claustrophobic dread.

Tomorrow - he would fix them tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow, if it rained again. He loved the rain.

* * *

The tree was absolutely picture-perfect, like out of one of the fairytale books Headmaster Gaepora had given him as a small child, trying to awaken his interest in reading (it had worked for the most part).

Link was instantly drawn to the beautiful, velvet-soft meadow; the tree sat enthroned upon it, light up by the single ray of the setting sun the far taller trees let through, complete with almost cheesy, dancing, glittering dust particles. Colorful, exotic butterflies swarmed the gnarly branches, keen to complete the cliché romantic atmosphere.

Cliché or not, Link stumbled onto the bright green grass, without taking his eyes from the ancient looking, yet bursting with vitality tree. He had never been happier about having stretched out his usual exploration areas. He had always favored Faron Woods over any other territory he had discovered; they felt so foreign and familiar to him at the same time. This place, however, surpassed everything he had encountered so far.

While inspecting the thick trunk closer, Link noticed a natural, wooden pathway encircling it, and leading up - similar to the one of the giant tree overseeing all of Faron. The climb was expectedly short this time, and where it ended, something awaited him.

It was…  _home_.

* * *

_44 days after the end battle_

Link could not stop smiling on his way back, despite knowing he was in for a tongue-lashing from Zelda for being absent from the building site all day long, and coming back in the middle of the night, after a hours-long march.

Sometimes she acted like the mother he had never known. Which was great.

No, actually it wasn't; Link was not used to having a mother, thus the very concept felt so alien to him. It was all worth it though. He could not wait to show her his discovery: The artfully entwined tree, crowned regally by shoals of healthy green, surrounded by a whispering stream, flowing into a small, crystal-clear pond. The tree hole, bigger than his and Fledge's academy rooms taken together, with two gaps for windows, and an alcove that looked like a real bed! The tree was literally welcoming tired wanderers, like a lonely, old man.

When Link would finally work out the courage to ask Zelda out, he would present her with not only an engagement ring that suited her golden hair and blue eyes impeccably, but also a beautiful location to spend alone time at.

Perhaps their honeym-

No, he was getting ahead of himself here. It would be enough to coax Zelda into leaving responsibility for once, and surprise her with a "vacation house" they would hardly have to lift a finger to make habitable. The thought filled him with happ-

It filled him with doubt.

It made him all… possessive.

He didn't feel like sharing his find. At all. Not even with her.  _Especially_  not with her.

… Alright, now he was being an idiot. He was starting to confuse himself with all of these contradictory feelings. Pshaw, feelings! Who invented those, anyway? Time to get some sleep indeed.

But not without visiting his Fi, like every night before bed. She had, at least, handled feelings in the best possible way: By not having them in the first place. So soothingly logical she had been…

Link slinked around the now quiet, deserted building site, past the many provisory tents, taking in all the work that had been done in his absence with a bad conscience. At least luck was on his side: The main temple door was standing ajar, so he could tiptoe inside without making it creak like something that escaped from the Dark Realm.

Zelda and Groose were talking in hushed tones, not seeing Link creep along the walls, keeping to the shadows. He considered leaving; they were both facing the doors of the back chamber, standing in the torch-lit center of the temple. There was no way he would be able to get to Fi unnoticed. And lurking there, eavesdropping on his friends, was absolutely unacceptable, and-

And exactly what he would do right now. He could still feel awful about it later, after sating his curiosity. What could they be talking about - without him? Link recoiled at the very unwelcome mix of jealousy and simultaneous embarrassment; Groose was his friend. His selfless friend who had backed off, despite being so desperately in love with Zelda. The one who had punched Link's shoulder playfully (knocking him over in the process), and told him to, "go get her, tiger!"

(It was Groose's favorite creature of the surface - feral, and majestic. When he was in a bad mood, he had far less flattering names for Link…)

Link crouched in the darkness; he was already feeling awful about himself  _right_   _now_.

"… and so I was wondering, y'know? About, um, what's going on between you and Shrimp…?" Groose was stumbling over his words.

Words which made Link nearly choke on air. He closed his eyes tightly, forcing down the impending cough attack by sheer willpower. No wonder they were here talking without him, if they were talking  _about_  him!

"You came to inquire about my views on aquatic creatures?" Zelda asked, raising a delicate eyebrow.

"Aw, c'mon, Zel. Don't give me that!" Groose laughed nervously.

Link was not able to hear Zelda's reply, or Groose's following one; their voices had lowered to mere whispers. They carried something like… indifference, and hopefulness, respectively. It was just his imagination for sure.

"Groose." Zelda sighed. "If you and I hadn't become such close friends, I'd have told you to mind your own business. But as matters now stand-"

"So you mean it?" Groose stammered. "B-but I thought…"

"No, Link and I are not an item."

Link gulped and leaned forward; well, that wasn't news to him, but she could at least sound a bit more… upset about it, or something?

Besides, a warning would have been nice, if she intended to take his entire world, shake it like a meaningless toy, and then throw it away like trash:

"And it will never happen. I am absolutely not interested in Link."

_To be continued…_

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Welcome to a new story, dear die-hard GhiraLink fans C: I will keep this short and sweet: Irregular updates (as always ;_;), author is not a native speaker, so if you find something that could be better worded, please feel free to point it out to me. There will be approximately six chapters, and each main character will also be the narrator during one or two chapters: First Link, then Ghirahim, and Zelda will wrap it all up. Speaking of Zelda: Writing one of my favorite characters in a less than flattering way is a form of challenge to myself c;
> 
> The picture accompanying my story has been custom drawn by [LACTEAWAY](https://lacteaway.deviantart.com/) on dA. You can find a larger image [**HERE**](https://lacteaway.deviantart.com/art/comm13-695499035)!
> 
> Please take a look at her gallery, I promise it's worth it. She will illustrate this entire story (as always :D), so stay tuned for more! **Please do not repost! Simply link back to the picture on dA. Thank you!**
> 
> Feedback and reviews make for a motivated author! Happy reading c:


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